Pages

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Hey, all! I know, it's been an unforgivably long time, about eight months if I'm right, but I'm back! Hopefully consistently.

I suppose a quick update is in order first... During the course of this time I've finished another novel, thanks to the 3-Day Novel challenge, and made headway on the third book of the Raven series. I'm still working my job at a preschool, and actually have taken on more hours there, as well as begun teaching my own class. Granted, I'm only with that class for the mornings, but it's still been interesting as well as really great to get to know certain kids better, since I'm alone in a room with nine of them as opposed to with other teachers in a room of forty. It's also been a little difficult, too, since being their new teacher means I'm being tested in new ways by them seeing what they can and can't get away with.

I've also decided to attend college to get a degree in Psychology, and will be beginning that next Fall. Hopefully following a summer's long internship at a missions place. Yes, it will be insane, but it will also be awesome, I'm thinking!

Okay, so now to explain the title, hm?

First, a story! Because stories are fun.

I have a car, named Towanda, who I very much love. She's eighteen-years-old, but also a Jeep, so she's holding up really well considering.
All right, so picture this: I'm going about minding my own business quite happily, when one day at work, I get asked to sub for a teacher, which means extra hours, which means extra money. Of course, I agree, and so for sometimes a day, sometimes an entire week, I work extra hours. I get an extra big paycheck at the end of the week, and I feel pretty happy as I stick it in my savings account.

Then, it happens. My Jeep suddenly informs me that it needs a new part, sometimes expensive, sometimes not so much, and I end up using the majority of the extra money I just made to fix her.

This happens again. And again. And again, throughout the summer. With pretty much complete consistency, every time I get extra hours at work, something comes up to eat the earnings.

Now, at first, I found myself being mildly frustrated with this. I mean, really, what's wrong with saving up a little money in case of emergency? Why do things keep happening to prevent that? Why am I so preyed upon by misfortune? Poor me!

Then it hit me... What if I had this turned around? Instead of looking at it with the, "Every time I make money, something happens to take it away" lens, maybe I was supposed to be looking at it differently, quite the opposite way in fact:

Every time something unexpected and money consuming happens, I have extra money to take care of it with.

Once that hit me, I sort of sat back and thought, "Woah.... that's scary. But cool."

Then I wondered, how often does this happen in peoples' lives? In my life? I mean, really, we all wail and cry about how each of us specifically has so many problems, but have we stopped to turn things around and look at them from another direction? A direction that suggests we're not just helpless beings with no one looking out for us but ourselves? How many hidden blessings have we missed, just because we had things turned around with the misfortune leading the way?

Call me crazy, silly, or too optimistic, but honestly, I'm fine with being called that, because if being "crazy", "silly", or "too optimistic" means I can stop worrying and stressing and pitying myself as much, then fine! I'm crazy, I'm silly, and I'm too optimistic. But I'll guarantee one thing on this matter; I'm happier in my supposed craziness than you are in your supposed sanity.

So there you have it! My explanation and rambling thoughts that you may take or leave as you please.

Until next time! (which will hopefully be within eight months)
~The Raven